Internal potency (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"internal potencies" |"internal potency"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 4.3-6 -- New York, July 18, 1966:

Just like everybody has got some personal affair and some public affair. Everybody. A man, high-court judge, he may be, as a public man, he may be a different personality in the high-court bench. But at home he's a different person, a different person. In the high-court bench one has to address that person, "My Lord," but at home his wife addressing him by his own name, "Mr. Harry! Harry! Why don't you do it?" Oh, there is no question of "My Lord."

Similarly, Kṛṣṇa has got two nature, lower and higher nature. The higher nature is internal potency. That is His real life.

Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

Guest: We are expansions of Rādhā?

Prabhupāda: No. Rādhā is the internal potency, we are marginal potency. Of course, originally, in that sense, everything is Kṛṣṇa's expansion. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. But even there are expansions... That is the difference between Māyāvāda philosophy and Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Caitanya Mahāprabhu...acintya-bhedābheda. We are always simultaneously one and different. Always. We should remember. We are, because we are expansion of Kṛṣṇa, we are expansion of Rādhā also because Rādhā is also expansion of Kṛṣṇa. But still, different.

Lecture on BG 4.6 -- Bombay, March 26, 1974:

Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. Parā-prakṛti and aparā-prakṛti. The aparā-prakṛti is this material energy. And the parā-prakṛti is spiritual energy. There are two kinds of prakṛti. So that spiritual... Because Kṛṣṇa is spiritual whole, so His spiritual energy, prakṛtiṁ svām, that internal potency, or the spiritual energy,... so His body is spiritual. His body is not material. Therefore avyayātmā, it is imperishable. These things are to be understood. Prakṛtiṁ svām adhiṣṭhāya sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā (BG 4.6). Again He says ātma-māyayā. He's not forced to take birth by the external energy. He appears by His own energy, internal energy, or spiritual energy. Therefore He's avyayātmā.

Lecture on BG 4.6 -- Bombay, March 26, 1974:

Pradyumna: "In the material world a living entity has no fixed body, but transmigrates from one body to another. The Lord, however, does not do so. Whenever He appears, He does so in the same original body by His internal potency. In other words, Kṛṣṇa appears in this material world in His original eternal form with two hands holding a flute. He appears exactly in His eternal body, uncontaminated by this material world. Although He appears in the same transcendental body and is Lord of the universe, it still appears that..."

Prabhupāda: How He can be contaminated by the modes of material nature? Because Kṛṣṇa says that

daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī

mama māyā duratyayā

mām eva ye prapadyante

māyām etāṁ taranti te

(BG 7.14)

If somebody surrenders to Kṛṣṇa, He becomes free from the touch of māyā. Simply by surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, if one becomes liberated from the clutches of māyā, how Kṛṣṇa can be under the clutches of māyā? This is foolishness. Those who say that "Kṛṣṇa also accepts this material body," that, that is not the fact.

Lecture on BG 8.15-20 -- New York, November 17, 1966:

Kṛṣṇa says that "Anyone who comes to Me..." Of course, Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, but still, He has got His abode. The difference between Kṛṣṇa and ordinary human being or ordinary living being is that we can remain at one place, but Kṛṣṇa... Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). Although He has got His abode in the transcendental kingdom, which is called Goloka Vṛndāvana... The Vṛndāvana city from where I have come, this Vṛndāvana is called Bhauma Vṛndāvana. Bhauma Vṛndāvana means the same Vṛndāvana descended on this earth. Just like Kṛṣṇa descends on this earth out of His own internal potency, similarly, His dhāma, or His abode, also descends, the Vṛndāvana dhāma. Or, in other words, when Kṛṣṇa descends on this earth, He manifests Himself in that particular land. Therefore that land is so sacred, Vṛndāvana. But Kṛṣṇa has His own abode. And Kṛṣṇa says, "Anyone who comes to My abode," mām upetya punar janma duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15), "he does not get again rebirth in this material world, which is full of threefold miseries." Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam nāpnuvanti.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.30 -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1972:

Māyā means energy. That is displayed in two ways: material and spiritual. Material is asat, and spiritual is sat. Asat means which does not exist permanent, permanently. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). It is created, again it is annihilated. Therefore it is called sometimes asat. Asat means not false, but not permanent. So this material creation is also manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's energy, and there is another creation, but that is not creation. That is always existing. That is the spiritual world, sanātana. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ avyaktaḥ avyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). That, that manifestation, that is internal potency. This is external potency. This material world is manifestation of the external potency of Kṛṣṇa, whereas the spiritual world is the manifestation of His internal potency. Unfortunately, the modern advancement of education has no information what is that spiritual world. He has... They have no information. They are concerned with this material world only. That is also not perfectly. But there is spiritual world. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6), Kṛṣṇa says. There is another, another manifestation of His internal potency. That is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge. Here, in this material world, material world means it is not eternal, not blissful and not full of knowledge. This is material world. In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is said: avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate. This manifestation of energy is full of ignorance. The nature of this world is called darkness, tamasi, tama. Tamasi mā jyotir gama. So sad-asad-rūpayā cāsau guṇa, guṇamaya aguṇaḥ. Kṛṣṇa, when He's called aguṇa, or nirguṇa, that means He's not affected by these material modes of nature. Above material nature. We are affected. We living entities, we are affected by the material modes of nature, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. But Kṛṣṇa is not affected. That is Kṛṣṇa..., difference between Kṛṣṇa and ourself.

Lecture on SB 1.8.35 -- Mayapura, October 15, 1974:

There are many potencies of God, Kṛṣṇa. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). Many millions. So they have been summarized into three. What is that? The external potency, internal potency, two, and third, marginal potency. The marginal potency and internal potency, they are of the same quality. There are same quality. And there is another potency. That is called external potency.

Lecture on SB 1.15.36 -- Los Angeles, December 14, 1973:

Those potencies have been divided into three. Multi, but roughly, they have been divided into three. One is called internal potency, one is called the external potency, and one is called the marginal potency. So the external potency means this material world. The whole material universe—so many universes, so many planets, stars, skies, and everything—these are the demonstration of the external potency. And similarly, there is the spiritual world. Spiritual world. That we cannot see. That is not within our experience. But we get it from the śāstra. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ (BG 8.20). Kṛṣṇa says, "There is another nature." Paras tasmāt. "This material nature, beyond that there is another nature." Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). That is eternal. This material nature is not eternal.

Lecture on SB 3.25.3 -- Bombay, November 3, 1974:

The ultimate goal is to satisfy the Lord, Supreme Lord Viṣṇu. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). But the foolish people, they do not know. Their ultimate interest is how to satisfy Viṣṇu. Viṣṇur ārādhyate. So when there is dharmasya glāniḥ, then Lord Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa, by His incarnation or personally, He comes. Therefore it is said, yad yad vidhatte bhagavān. But because He comes to paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8), He has no anxiety. Svacchandātmā. And He does by His own internal potency. He does not take anyone's help. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is Bhagavān. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. He has got so varieties of energies that everything is done very correctly and perfectly.

Lecture on SB 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974:

Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches us, therefore, that actually, if you want something from God, that should be only begging for His service. This Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra means addressing God, "Kṛṣṇa," "Hari," and His energy Harā, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī or Lakṣmījī, Hare: "O this internal potency of Kṛṣṇa..." Hara is Kṛṣṇa's internal potency. The external potency is Durgā, and the internal potency is Rādhārāṇī. Jaya Rādhe. So this is daivī-prakṛti. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). The devotees, they take shelter of the daivī-prakṛti, Rādhārāṇī, Lakṣmījī. They worship, therefore, Vaiṣṇava, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa, Sītā-Rāma, the first of all, the energy. The energy. So this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is first addressing the energy, the internal energy, potency, of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 3.26.18 -- Bombay, December 27, 1974:

You cannot think that "Because Kṛṣṇa is expanded in so many forms and so many ways, therefore He is finished. There is no more Kṛṣṇa. This form of Kṛṣṇa is māyā." No. That is Kṛṣṇa, that Kṛṣṇa can expand Himself... Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Ananta-rūpam: you cannot count even. We are also forms of Kṛṣṇa, vibhinnāṁśa. Everything is Kṛṣṇa's form. That pantheism, they take it that "Kṛṣṇa's... Everything is Kṛṣṇa's form. Then where is Kṛṣṇa?" No. Kṛṣṇa is still Kṛṣṇa. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca (Bs. 5.33). He's still ādyam, puruṣam ādyam. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. He still remains ādi. So how He has expanded? That is stated here, bhagavān ātma-māyayā: by His internal potency. Bhagavān ātma-māyayā. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport).

Lecture on SB 3.26.22 -- Bombay, December 31, 1974:

This is our only business. This Hare Kṛṣṇa means, "O Kṛṣṇa, O Harā, Kṛṣṇa's energy, Rādhārāṇī, Harā..." Hari Harā. So this addressing, "O Kṛṣṇa, O Kṛṣṇa's internal potency..." Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, chanting, addressing: "O Lord Kṛṣṇa, O the internal energy of Kṛṣṇa." So They will respond that "Why you are calling Me, or Us?" You have to submit, "Please again accept me as Your eternal servant." This is the only prayer, not that "Give me this money, this me that, this me that. Give me that." No. That is not pure devotion. That is devotion, but it is mixed. Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtinaḥ. That is pious life. When we ask from Kṛṣṇa anything other than devotional service, that is pious activities. That is not devotional activities. Devotional activity is different from pious activity.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- London (Tittenhurst), September 13, 1969:

Prabhupāda: If Kṛṣṇa is transcendental whole spirit, similarly the Rādhā or His expansion, Her expansion... It is explained in the Brahma-saṁhitā, ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ (Bs. 5.37). This is expansion of the quintessence of spiritual energy, ānanda-cinmaya. Ānanda means blissful, and cinmaya means spiritual. So all kṛṣṇa-līlā, all Kṛṣṇa's activities, they are manifestation of His spiritual internal potency. You understand this?

Devotee (3): Yes. But what I wanted within that... Did She have to become transcendence?

Prabhupāda: No. She is already transcendental.

Devotee (3): She's always transcendental.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.8 -- Vrndavana, March 15, 1974:

So in the Vedas we understand the nature of the Absolute Truth as ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). He's ānandamaya, always in pleasure potency. So when Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute Personality of Godhead, wants to enjoy ānanda, so He expands His ahladini-śakti. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). This is Vedic injunction. He has got multipotencies. So when He wants to enjoy, He expands His internal potency, ahlādinī-śakti. That is Śrīmati Rādhārāṇī. Don't think Śrīmati Rādhārāṇī a ordinary girl. No. Then you will mistake. How Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, can dance with ordinary girl? No. That is not possible. Cid-vilāsī. He is enjoyer of the internal potency. That is described by Śrīla Svarūpa Dāmodara.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.8 -- Vrndavana, March 15, 1974:

Śrīmati Rādhārāṇī is the direct pleasure potency, and the all the gopīs, they are expansion of Śrīmati Rādhārāṇī. Therefore He is called vrajalalanā-nāgara. So don't think... You have come to Vṛndāvana. Don't think that Kṛṣṇa had rāsa dance with ordinary girls or Kṛṣṇa was ordinary man. As Kṛṣṇa was not man, He's God, similarly, the gopīs and Śrīmati Rādhārāṇī, they're internal potency of God, or Kṛṣṇa. This is... This should be understood. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). Kṛṣṇa says, "Mūḍhas, rascals, they think that I am a human being, ordinary human being." And therefore they imitate. Sometimes the rascals imitate rāsa dance. "Kṛṣṇa had rāsa dance; then we can have also rāsa..." But they do not understand that Kṛṣṇa's rāsa dance is not ordinary ball dance like that. No. It is an imitation, perverted imitation. Because the tendency's there in Kṛṣṇa, therefore we have also got the tendency. But we do not know how to enjoy that dancing spirit. That is our illusion.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.156-163 -- New York, December 11, 1966:

So we individual souls, we are part and parcel, fragmental part and parcel of the Supreme. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is to be understood as the source of all individual selves. Akhilātmā. Akhila means all. Then jagad-dhitāya: "Now, He has come, He has descended out of His causeless mercy," jagad-dhitāya, "for the benefit of this world, this planet." Dehīva ābhāti. Just like He appears ordinary person. Ābhāti māyayā. Māyā. This māyā is not illusion. This māyā means by His internal potency. By His internal potency, He can appear just like us, but He's not like us. He's the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 21.1-10 -- New York, January 3, 1967:

Lord Caitanya is always presented with five transcendental entourage. He is Himself present, and His next expansion, Nityānanda, and His incarnation, Advaita, and His internal potency, Gadādhara, and His marginal potency, Śrī Śrīvāsa... So pañca-tattvātmakaṁ kṛṣṇam. He is Kṛṣṇa, but He is present in this age with His five associates. Pañca-tattvātmakaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ bhakta-rūpa-svarūpakam. But although He is Kṛṣṇa, He presents Himself as a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Bhakta-rūpa-svarūpakam. Bhaktāvatāram bhaktākhyam. And incarnation of devotee, Advaita, and bhaktākhyam. These five associates are always with Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. So to offer Kṛṣṇa Caitanya means to offer with His associates. Sa-ghoṣṭi. This is the process.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 21.1-10 -- New York, January 3, 1967:

Three world means that in the materially there is lower planet and middle planets and upper planets, these three worlds. So "How You are acting within these three worlds, and how You are utilizing Your internal potency, yogamāyā, extending Yourself in so many expansions, plenary expansions? Who can understand You? Nobody can understand You." You may say if nobody can understand, what is the use of discussing such things? That is the qualification of the devotees. In spite of their inability to understand His supremacy, the expansion, the extension of the Supreme Lord, still, by discussing about the Supreme Lord, hearing and chanting, they take transcendental pleasure. It is not that anybody can understand Kṛṣṇa, but still, it is a transcendental pleasure to try to understand. Not that we shall be able to understand Kṛṣṇa fully; it is not in our power. But still, bodhayantaḥ parasparam, tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca. Mahātmā, those who are great souls, in their society, in their spiritual society of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by discussing about Kṛṣṇa in terms of the Vedic literature and authoritative literature, they enjoy transcendentally. This is transcendental pleasure.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.6 -- New York, January 8, 1967:

So you are spark, spiritual spark. You are simply changing dress. That is your conditioned stage. So Lord Caitanya says, advaya-jñāna-tattva kṛṣṇa-svayaṁ bhagavān. Svayaṁ bhagavān, the Absolute Truth... 'Svarūpa śakti' rūpe tāṅra haya avasthāna: "He is situated in His internal potency." Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says,

yadā yadā hi dharmasya

glānir bhavati bhārata

abhyutthānam adharmasya...

(BG 4.7)

paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ

vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām

sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā

(BG 4.8)

Ātma-māyayā, internal potency. He is situated in the spiritual world by internal potency. And this is, this material world, His external potency.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.6 -- New York, January 8, 1967:

Kṛṣṇa is in the internal potency, although this potency is not different. Therefore it is inferior. It is inferior energy, it is called. And this, this is explained very nicely in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagat avyakta-mūrtinā: (BG 9.4) "By Me the whole spiritual and material world is manifested." Tatam idam. How it is manifested? Just like the sun and sunshine. Sunshine is manifested all over the universe, and sun is the central point. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the central point, and His shining brahmajyoti is diffused all over. And the part of that brahmajyoti, when it is, I mean to say, covered by the cloud of mahat-tattva, that is called material existence. So we are in this darkness. So Kṛṣṇa says, Lord Cai... So his place is in the internal potency. 'Svarūpa-śakti' rūpe tāṅra haya avasthāna. He is situated there in His internal potency.

Festival Lectures

Radhastami, Srimati Radharani's Appearance Day -- London, August 29, 1971:

The material energy is not blind. It is... On the background there is Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ (BG 9.10). Prakṛti means this material energy. Similarly... This is external energy. Similarly, there is another energy, which is internal energy. By the internal energy the spiritual world is being manifested. Parās tasmāt tu bhavaḥ anyaḥ (BG 8.20). Another energy, parā, superior, transcendental, the spiritual world. As this material world is being manipulated under the external energy, similarly, the spiritual world is also conducted by the internal potency. That internal potency is Rādhārāṇī.

Six Gosvamis Lecture, Sri Sri Sad-govamy-astaka -- Los Angeles, November 18, 1968:

A mahātmā is not a politician. A mahātmā is not for the Indians and not for the Americans or any certain limited circle. Mahātmā is not like that. Of course, the Indian people awarded the title "Mahatma" Gandhi, but mahātmā means a different... Mahātmā's definition is given in the Bhagavad-gītā. There it is stated, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daiviṁ prakṛtim āśritaḥ (BG 9.13). A mahātmā is under the shelter of the internal potency of God. There are two kinds of potencies. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. You should read Bhagavad-gītā very carefully. You'll understand everything. Aparā and parā. These are stated.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Lecture -- Gainesville, July 29, 1971:

So we are very much obliged to you that in this remote place, which is thousands and thousands miles away from Lord Caitanya's birthplace, Navadvīpa, and you are carrying out, to fulfill His desire, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu—the picture is there—assisted by four others, Pañca-tattva. Kṛṣṇa appeared in five principles. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself, and Nityānanda Prabhu is His immediate expansion, and Advaita Prabhu is incarnation. Gadādhara Prabhu is internal potency, and śrīvāsādi, Śrīvāsa is heading the list of His devotees. Śrīvāsa represents the marginal potency of Kṛṣṇa.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Seattle, October 18, 1968:

Always putting in some sort of misery. And the civil department of Kṛṣṇa, ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. You simply go on increasing the, I mean to say, depth of the ocean of joy. Ānandambudhi-vardhanam. That is the difference, yogamāyā and mahāmāyā. Yogamāyā is... Yogamāyā, the original yogamāyā, is Kṛṣṇa's internal potency. That is Rādhārāṇī. And mahāmāyā is external potency, Durgā. This Durgā is explained in Brahma-saṁhitā, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44). Durgā is the superintending goddess of this whole material world. Everything is going on under his, under her control. Prakṛti, prakṛti is energy. Energy is accepted as feminine.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, November 13, 1968:

They do not worship Nārāyaṇa without Lakṣmī, because the Lord and the energy must be there. We don't say..., we don't believe that God is without any energy. No. "Hare Kṛṣṇa." First the energy is addressed, Harā, Hare, then Kṛṣṇa. So here also, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura prays, "My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, You are now present before me with Your internal potency, Your pleasure potency, Rādhārāṇī. So I am surrendering unto You." Hā hā prabhu nanda-sutā. "Don't neglect me because I am so sinful, my past life is so black. Don't neglect me. Please accept me. Don't kick me away. I surrender unto You." This is the purport of this song.

Lecture -- London, August 11, 1971:

Nature, living entity's nature is to be blissful, happy, always pleasing, but in our material condition of life we are just the opposite. There is neither pleasure, nor knowledge, nor eternity. But these three things are the symptoms of spiritual existence: eternity, blissfulness, and knowledge. (break) Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare, these names are so sweet that how I can relish the transcendental sweet... (break) ...Rādhārāṇī, but in the Goloka Vṛndāvana, everything—the land, the water, the trees, the flowers, the cows, the cowherds boy, everything—they are expansion of Kṛṣṇa's internal potency, ānanda-cinmaya-rasa. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ (Bs. 5.37). That is Kṛṣṇa's expansion of His own person. Just like when Brahmā stole all the cows and calves and cowherd boys of Kṛṣṇa to test Kṛṣṇa, whether He is actually the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa immediately expanded Himself in the typical same way: all the cows, calves, cowherd boys.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Jean-Paul Sartre:

Śyāmasundara: So he is seeing the external features and he is saying...

Prabhupāda: Therefore he is imperfect. He has no perfect vision. His philosophy is not very sound. He can be classified, according to Bhāgavata, bahir-artha-māninaḥ: one who gives importance to the external features; one who has no eyes to see the internal potency.